The Mythos Cyborgs
The''' Mythos Cyborgs''' (ミュートス・サイボーグ Myutos Saibogu, Myutos Cyborgs in the Tokyopop English manga) are a team of cyborgs that were built by the Black Ghost scientists Dr. Gaia and Dr. Uranus. They are modeled after gods of the Greek Pantheon, as well as other figures from Greek mythology, and appear in the titular "Mythos Cyborgs" arc. Their overall role differs slightly between the manga and other adaptations, including the 2001 Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier series which omits a few of the team members and replaces Helena with Artemis. In the 2001 anime, the cyborgs are brainwashed to believe that they're the actual gods of Olympus. They also believe that their mission is to destroy Earth, so they may end war and rebuild the world. The OVA Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman pays homage to the arc briefly at the start of its first episode, though Dr. Gaia and Dr. Uranus have been removed from the plot for time constraints and the team is also reduced in number and role. In the prequel light novel, the cyborgs are described as being "intentional mutants" that were developed by Black Ghost, which foreshadows the situation behind three of the High-Teen Number cyborgs in the OVA. Team Members Manga (1965) * Apollo * Helena * Pan * Minotaur * Achilles * Atlas *Centaurs *Hippo Man (Renamed "Nereus" in the 2001 series) *Horse Man *Lion Man (Renamed "Heracles" in the Mega-CD game) *Woman Esper (Renamed "Hera" in the 2001 series) *Poseidon (only visible in a one-panel cameo) *Dr. Gaia *Dr. Uranus Dr. Gaia also uses a spy mouse by the name of "Mighty Mouse" as surveillance, and cybernetics are also utilized for Achilles' attack animals (an elephant and group of panthers). A dragon-shaped cyborg is seen in the initial gathering of the team, but does not appear in any further parts of the plot (much like Poseidon). Mega-CD Game (1993) See the Mega-CD article for more information *Apollo *Helena *Minotaur *Achilles *Atlas *Centaurs *Horse Man *Heracles *Poseidon While Helena is the first to be seen, her cybernetic status is left up for debate, as some elements about her remain vague due to how she was a merger of the original character and Helen. These versions of the cyborgs take their orders directly from Skull and Van Vogt, rather than any Black Ghost scientists. Due to the game's way of re-using character sprites for bit villains, 009 must fight multiples of Heracles, Minotaur, Horse Man, and Poseidon when he first arrives at the caverns to fight the enemies. However, the multiple centaurs do have basis in the manga. Cyborg Soldier anime (2001) * Apollo *Artemis * Pan * Minotaur * Achilles * Atlas *Nereus *Hera *Poseidon * Dr. Gaia Poseidon gained a larger role as he had been planned to have in a previous adaptation (see Notes), and Dr. Uranus' absence established Dr. Gaia as a greater villain, with an increased conflict with Dr. Gilmore. "Mighty Mouse" and other minor creatures were also removed. Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman OVA (2015) *Apollo *Helena *Achilles *Atlas *Woman Esper *Poseidon *Minotaur *Hippo Man *Dr. Gaia *Dr. Uranus Only Apollo and Helena receive actual roles and lines within the "Mythos Cyborgs" segment used to introduce the Cyborg 009 part of the OVA, however, their characterization is also very abridged and brief. The other Mythos cyborgs are shown lying dead before 009's encounter with Apollo, with him defeating Achilles rapidly and with no assistance from Pan. Episode 2 shows a further cameo of Hippo Man when the Mythos cyborgs are brought up in the history of Black Ghost, and although Gaia and Uranus were excluded from the "Mythos" scenes in episode 1, they are depicted present as Black Ghost scientists in flashbacks and in the organization files. Oddly, Poseidon is depicted in his manga design in the first episode, while the second shows him with his design from the scrapped 1980 anime concept, which would be used in the "Cyborg Soldier" anime. This, among other oddities in the second episode, appear to be due to miscommunication between animators or changes in the production. History Manga Cyborg Soldier anime Gallery Manga MythosCyborgs_manga3.png|The initial gathering of the Mythos team. MythosCyborgs_manga2.png|Pan, Centaur D, Hippo Man, and Centaur K. Mythos_Dragoncyborg.png|Atlas and the mysterious dragon cyborg. MythosCyborgs manga.png|A grouping of the cyborgs, in their secret base. Mythos ShotaronoFantasyWorld.png|A revisiting of the team's designs, in an artbook illustration by Ishinomori (featuring his Jun character). Helena, Apollo, Hippo Man, Lion Man, Achilles, Pan, and a Centaur are present. Notes * The Mythos team were originally slated to be in the next arc after "Neo Black Ghost" in the 1979-1980 series, however the cancellation of the anime cut those plans short. The 1980 incarnation of the team would have had Helena replaced with Artemis, though this design would later be repurposed for the 2001 series. The team would have consisted of Apollo, Artemis, Pan, Achilles, Atlas, Lion Man, Hippo Man, and Poseidon. Odin and Dr. Whisky would have been instrumental in the creation of these cyborgs, and the Mighty Mouse robot was slated to appear, along with one of the Centaurs. * While Lion Man and Horse Man were ultimately cut from the Cyborg Soldier adaptation, a 2000 visual development trailer for it depicted them as part of the team. This trailer also depicted Helena as part of the team, until the decision was made to use the scrapped 1980 "Artemis" design in her place. * The Mythos' cyborgs place in the manga continuity was left ambiguous for a brief time. When the Underground Empire of Yomi arc was serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine, Ishinomori had disregarded Mythos, likely due to the editorial interference that culminated in the arc being cut off and ''Cyborg 009 ''being dropped as a regular feature from Weekly Shonen King. Although Ishinomori never got the chance to fully rewrite the arc, he did slightly extend its conclusion for the tankoban releases, where it was then placed back into continuity (although the lack of acknowledgment in the Yomi arc is still noticeable). Category:Antagonists Category:Deceased Characters Category:Black Ghost Category:Cyborgs